The documentary kicking off this year’s Chilliwack Independent Film Festival is about the lack of drinkable water on First Nations reserves.
‘Boil Alert’ screens Nov. 17, launching the seventh edition of CIFF at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas.
It’s one of more than 80 films that will be screened from Friday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 19 during the in-person festival. It then moves to a virtual festival from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3.
“With 81 films from across the world, there is something for everyone with feature films, documentaries, short films, industry events and workshops,” said festival founder Taras Groves.
The nine industry events take place at CoWork Chilliwack and the Chilliwack Cultural Centre and range from panels and talks to workshops covering topics like ‘How to pitch your feature film’ and ‘How to make short films that hit.’
Canadian director Matt Johnson, who directed film Blackberry, will be doing a special screening of the film with a Q&A, plus a talk on the Saturday.
Boil Alert, the film kicking off the festival, is directed by Stevie Salas and James Burns. There will also be a Q&A session with director after the screening.
“In this urgent, hybrid, border-crossing documentary, activist Layla Staats is our guide to the struggle of First Nations reserves to receive a basic human right — drinkable water,” reads the film description. “Canadians often hear statistics about this: there are currently 32 long-term boil-water advisories in 28 communities throughout the country. But this film puts faces and personal stories to the numbers, in a very accessible way.”
Other highlights Groves pointed out include: award-winning shorts; ‘I’m Just Here For The Riot’ which is a feature documentary about the Vancouver Canucks; pride shorts, featuring a curated selection of LGBTQ+ stories and discussion; and Fraser Valley films showcasing local artists and talent.
CIFF is officially a Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying festival.
“If a film is selected at CIFF, it makes that film eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards,” Groves said. “CIFF also got into the top 50 film festivals of 2023 worth the entry fee worldwide by MovieMaker Magazine.”
The seventh annual Chilliwack Independent Film Festival runs in-person from Nov. 17 to Nov. 19 and virtually from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3.
Ticket pricing varies depending on how much the viewer wants to see. Tickets for individual industry events and screening blocks are $9.99 each. A three-pack of screening blocks is $19.99. Tickets are $59.99 for an all-access, in-person festival pass. Passes for the virtual festival are $14.99.
To buy tickets and to see the full schedule, go to goelevent.com/chilliwackindependentfilmfestival/e/List. For more on the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival, go to ciff.ca.
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